For the second year in a row, Johnnie Walker is most valuable drink brand in the world, according to brand valuation agency BrandFinance, which ranks the spirit brands by value.

Last year, the company was valued at $2.4 billion, but this year it nearly doubled in value, to $4.37 billion, according to the ranking.

While the second most valuable brand, Chinese baijiu maker Kweichow Moutai, also experienced serious growth, it did not expand nearly as fast as Johnnie Walker. The scotch brand increased its lead over the second-place brand from $400 million to $2 billion in just a year.

Much of Johnnie Walker's success can be attributed to the growth of exclusive products, such as Blue Label, and the introduction of new products, such as Double Black.

Here are the 15 most valuable drink brands in 2013:

SEE ALSO: 5 Delicious Cocktails You Can Make With Moonshine >

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Most people have a favorite watering hole, but how many can say they've gotten drunk at the most famous bars in America?

Derek Hembree and Clint Lanier are college buddies who decided to travel around the U.S. to discover the best saloons, pubs, and dives across the country.

They published their findings in a book, Bucket List Bars.

Each bar has a story, from Al Capone's favorite speakeasy to the setting of the greatest party ever thrown.

If you're a true bar aficionado, it's worth paging through the more than 70 drinking locations mentioned in the book. We spoke with the bar-hopping duo to find out which were their absolute favorites.

Scholz Garten, Austin, TX

1607 San Jacinto Blvd.

What To Drink: Beer, any kind

Scholz Garten is one of the coolest (and oldest) beer gardens in the country. Founded by a German immigrant in 1866, you can still sit outside and listen to bands play while sipping your authentic Bavarian beer, just like when it first opened its doors.

"Most of the Texas politicians go here to drink after legislature," Lanier said. "It’s a very cultural experience."

The Green Mill, Chicago, IL

4802 N. Broadway Ave.

What To Drink: Gin Martini

"This is where Al Capone used to hang out, and they still have the booth that he would sit in. And you can sit in it, too — just get there early enough," Lanier warned.

The Green Mill also has great live jazz and a really cool atmosphere since it hasn't changed much since its days as a 1920s speakeasy.

Rosa’s Cantina, El Paso, TX

3454 Doniphan Dr.

What To Drink: A bottle of Lone Star and a shot of Cuervo

"People might get angry, but I like Rosa’s Cantina," Lanier confessed. "It has an amazing legacy to the area."

Rosa's was founded in the post-prohibition 1940s, and still remains a favorite among locals and tourists alike.

Future income isn't the only factor that should determine college choice, but it may be the most important one.

So how good are the famous college rankings from U.S. News & World Report at predicting future income? It turns out there are some majorly underrated and overrated schools.

We plotted U.S. News' ranking of the best colleges against PayScale's mid-career salary rank to identify the outliers (read the full methodology here).

University of Massachusetts Lowell emerged as the most underrated school, heading a list of state schools and lesser-known tech schools.

#25 Widener University

Ranked #378 in our composite of U.S. News's college and university lists.

Ranked #319 in PayScale's mid-career salary list.

(As you can see, Widener ranks much better on salary than it does in the standard college ranking.)

Widener is a private school with 6,000 students on a 108-acre campus just outside of Philadelphia. Almost 30% of the students major in business and 22% major in health professions, which may explain why graduated have such high mid-career salaries at an average of $78,200.

Note: Although U.S. News ranks colleges and universities separately, we combined these lists by doubling the ranking. Read the full methodology here.

#24 Northern Illinois University

Ranked #378 in our composite of U.S. News's college and university lists.

Ranked #314 in PayScale's mid-career salary list.

Located in DeKalb, IL, Northern Illinois is a large public school that's comprised of seven colleges offering degrees in a variety of subjects, including speech, psychology, nursing, and accounting. The average mid-career salary is $78,300.

Note: Although U.S. News ranks colleges and universities separately, we combined these lists by doubling the ranking. Read the full methodology here.

#23 University of San Francisco

Ranked #212 in our composite of U.S. News's college and university lists.

Ranked #82 in PayScale's mid-career salary list.

The University of San Francisco is a private Jesuit university that was founded in 1855. Even though it's not ranked very high at #106 on US News' list, students are drawn here for its great location right near the Golden Gate Bridge and for its small class sizes. The average mid-career salary is high at $92,400.

Note: Although U.S. News ranks colleges and universities separately, we combined these lists by doubling the ranking. Read the full methodology here.

Stanford, Calif. was recently crowned the brainiest city in the U.S. by Lumosity, cognitive training site run by Lumos Labs.

Stanford beat 478 other cities for the title. Each city was ranked by the residents' average brain performance score across Lumosity's five cognitive training exercises: Speed, Attention, Flexibility, Memory, and Problem Solving.

Over 3 million people participated in this year's study, conducted by Dr. Daniel A. Sternberg, each between the ages of 15 and 85 years old. (You can read the full methodology here.)

Not surprisingly, college towns dominated the Lumosity rankings just like they did last year. Stanford was followed closely by Princeton, NJ, both home to two of the best universities in the country.

Here's the complete list:

1. Stanford, CA
2. Princeton, NJ
3. Storrs Mansfield, CT
4. Evanston, IL
5. Cambridge, MA
6. La Jolla, CA
7. Amherst, MA
8. West Lafayette, IN
9. Ithaca, NY
10. Davis, CA
11. Urbana, IL
12. College Park, MD
13. Somerville, MA
14. State College, PA
15. Ann Arbor, MI
16. Oxford, OH
17. Blacksburg, VA
18. Chapel Hill, NC
19. Stony Brook, NY
20. Provo, UT
21. East Lansing, MI
22. Lexington, MA
23. Allendale, MI
24. Madison, WI
25. Iowa City, IA
26. Brighton, MA
27. Watertown, MA
28. Ames, IA
29. Bloomington, IN
30. Berkeley, CA
31. Lenexa, KS
32. Lawrence, KS
33. Charlottesville, VA
34. College Station, TX
35. Pullman, WA
36. Burlington, VT
37. Williamsburg, VA
38. Ambler, PA
39. Redmond, WA
40. Hillsborough, NJ
41. Webster, NY
42. Waltham, MA
43. Boulder, CO
44. Flemington, NJ
45. Vienna, VA
46. Natick, MA
47. Westminster, MD
48. Bethpage, NY
49. Menlo Park, CA
50. Harrisonburg, VA

SEE ALSO: 25 Colleges Where Students Are Both Hot And Smart

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Having an MBA can give you an edge in the cutthroat world of business—but only if you pick the right school.

The wrong school could be a critical waste of time and money.

For our fourth annual survey of the World's Best Business Schools, we asked hundreds of American professionals with experience hiring MBAs to determine the best business school in the world.

They came back with a loud and clear answer: Harvard University.

Harvard pushed last year's winner, Stanford, down to number 3. In addition to the usual top American schools, international institutions like Cambridge University (#8), Oxford University (#9), and the London School of Economics (#19) also placed in the top 20.

The majority of respondents said that skills and knowledge is the most important takeaway from business school (69%), while 22% said that a network of contacts was a valuable B-school bonus.

Note that we only asked American hiring professionals to weigh in, so these 42 business schools are best for getting you a job in the U.S.

#42 INSEAD (Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires)

3.2% of respondents called it a top tier school.

Location: Fontainebleau, France

Tuition and fees: $80,000

INSEAD, the "Business School for the World," has campuses in Europe, Asia, and Abu Dhabi. It was ranked third in the world by Businessweek, and sixth by The Financial Times. Last year, it took the #10 spot on our list of the Best Business Schools.

For this survey, we asked hundreds of professionals with experience hiring MBAs to select the 10 most prestigious business schools. Tuition was used as a tiebreaker, with cheaper tuition pushing a school to a higher spot. Read the full methodology.

#41 Thunderbird School of Global Management

3.2% of respondents called it a top tier school.

Location: Glendale, Ariz.

Tuition and fees: $78,000

Thunderbird is known for having the best program in the world for international business studies, but it fell from #33 on our list last year. U.S. News ranked the school number 45 in their MBA program rankings.

For this survey, we asked hundreds of professionals with experience hiring MBAs to select the 10 most prestigious business schools. Tuition was used as a tiebreaker, with cheaper tuition pushing a school to a higher spot. Read the full methodology.

#40 Babson College (Olin)

3.5%of respondents called it a top tier school.

Location: Wellesley, Mass.

Tuition and fees: $103,000

Babson's MBA program has been ranked #1 in entrepreneurship by U.S. News for the last 20 years running. Last year Babson ranked #40 on our list, but this year respondents ranked Babson higher than other news outlets. U.S. News ranked Babson #56, Businessweek ranked them #42, and The Financial Times #80.

For this survey, we asked hundreds of professionals with experience hiring MBAs to select the 10 most prestigious business schools. Tuition was used as a tiebreaker, with cheaper tuition pushing a school to a higher spot. Read the full methodology.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz kept its iron grip on the top slot in Vault's annual ranking of America's most prestigious law firms.

The only notable changes in the top ten was Sullivan & Cromwell retaking the No. 3 spot from Skadden.

Vault's ranking is based on a survey of nearly 17,000 law associates, featuring comments and analysis about each firm. With their permission, we've highlighted the top firms here.

#20 White & Case

1,900 employees

New York City headquarters

Uppers

• “International work and opportunities”
• “People don't get worked to death”
• “Good relationships with senior associates and partners”

Downers

• “Lack of transparency”
• “Unpredictable hours”
• “Slim partnership prospects”

The Buzz

• “Great international practice”
• “Good work product”
• “Slightly impersonal”
• “Too big”

Read the full report at Vault.

#19 Jones Day

2,400 employees

Washington, D.C. headquarters

Uppers

• "Team atmosphere"
• "Stability of the firm and its client base"
• "Attempt at work/life balance"

Downers

• "It's sometimes difficult to navigate the red tape at such a large firm"
• "No transparency regarding compensation"
• "The firm can be cheap in certain ways"

The Buzz

• "Huge"
• "International"
• "Opaque"
• "Fratty"

Read the full report at Vault.

#18 Sidley Austin LLP

1,693 employees

Chicago headquarters

Uppers

• "Extremely pleasant place to work"
• "Reasonable hours requirements"
• "Commitment to diversity"

Downers

• "Work flow can be unpredictable and a little unevenly distributed"
• "Lack of transparency in bonus system"
• "Biglaw is Biglaw"

The Buzz

• "Obama worked there!"
• "Great in Chicago"
• "Hard-working"
• "Conservative"

Read the full report at Vault.

Forbes released its 2013 college rankings today, placing California schools Stanford University and Pomona College in the top two spots and moving Harvard University down towards the bottom of the top 10.

Forbes notes that there are many major shifts currently happening in higher education, but one overlooked change may be "the rise of non-Ivy League, West Coast colleges." With an apparent dig at U.S. News & World Report's rankings— which most recently had Harvard and Princeton tied at the top spot — Forbes writes that they are looking at "output" over "input."

We're not all that interested in what gets a student into college, like our peers who focus heavily on selectivity metrics such as high school class rank and SAT scores. Our sights are set directly on ROI: What are students getting out of college.

This might help explain the selection of the top two schools. Forbes notes that Stanford and Pomona both stand out as schools with high retention rates — 98% and 99% — and average starting salaries for graduates — $58,200 and $49,200.

Although U.S. News releases separate lists for universities and liberal arts colleges, Forbes pits the schools against each other, causing smaller schools like Swarthmore College to beat out Harvard and MIT. Williams College, the top liberal arts school on U.S. News' rankings, places third for the smaller schools on Forbes' list and ninth overall.  

Here are Forbes' top 10 schools for 2013:

1. Stanford University
2. Pomona College
3. Princeton University
4. Yale University
5. Columbia University
6. Swarthmore College
7. United States Military Academy
8. Harvard University
9. Williams College
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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The Hamptons — a favorite vacation destination of the rich and famous as well as New York's 'it' crowd — is actually composed of roughly 20 different villages, each one with its own unique flavor.

For this list, we ranked each destination on their quality of beaches, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and real estate, as well as how many celebrities live in the area. We know some people go to the Hamptons to escape nightlife and the celebrity scene, but we included them in this ranking because they have a big impact on local tourism.

We assigned each category a score between 1 and 10, meaning the highest total score any Hamptons town could get was 60.

Without further ado, here are the nine best hamlets in the Hamptons.

9. Sagaponack

This tiny village is renowned for its rural beauty, with some of the most scenic beaches in the area. 

The major downside of Sagaponack is that its too small for any theaters or shopping — for those, you would need to travel to nearby Southampton or East Hampton.

Well-known faces who have homes in Sagaponack include “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon and Goldman Sachs Chairman Lloyd Blankfein.

Beaches: 9
Restaurants: 5
Shopping: 4
Celebrity Sightings: 5
Nightlife: 4
Real Estate: 7.5
TOTAL: 34.5

8. Greenport

Often overshadowed by trendier hamlets, Greenport has both Noah's and The Frisky Oyster, easily two of the best restaurants in the Hamptons.

But don't expect to see any celebs while you're here — despite gorgeous real estate, Greenport is still dominated by locals.

Beaches: 5
Restaurants: 10
Shopping: 6
Celebrity Sightings: 5
Nightlife: 6
Real Estate: 7
TOTAL: 39

7. Amagansett

Technically within the town of East Hampton, Amagansett has its own special style with low-key, delicious restaurants and really nice, sandy beaches.

Though it's rare that you'll see a celebrity in these parts, Alec Baldwin has been known to make an appearance here.

Beaches: 8
Restaurants: 10
Shopping: 6
Celebrity Sightings: 6
Nightlife: 7
Real Estate: 7
TOTAL: 44

6. Bridgehampton

Bridgehampton has fantastic and unique boutiques and restaurants, such as Maison 24 and Candy Kitchen.

Though it currently isn't known for celebrity sightings, that could be changing soon now that Donna Karan has opened a boutique hotel in the neighborhood.

Beaches: 8
Restaurants: 9
Shopping: 9
Celebrity Sightings: 7
Nightlife: 5
Real Estate: 6.5
TOTAL: 44.5

5. Westhampton Beach

Westhampton Beach has clean, beautiful beaches.

It's also great for people watching: Not only do celebs like Anderson Cooper live here, but the restaurant Starr Boggs becomes quite the scene at night when the fabulous and wealthy mingle in the converted historic home.

Beaches: 10
Restaurants: 8
Shopping: 6
Celebrity Sightings: 7
Nightlife: 6
Real Estate: 7
TOTAL: 44

4. Sag Harbor

Known for being an artist haven, Sag Harbor is one of the prettiest villages with its cute storefronts and old-school Hamptons appeal.

It also has fantastic real estate that draws celebrities like Christy Brinkley. And if you want to see the celebs out and about, check out Italian restoTutto Il Giorno (Donna Karan’s daughter Gabby is a partner).

Beaches: 7
Restaurants: 9
Shopping: 6
Celebrity Sightings: 7
Nightlife: 6
Real Estate: 10
TOTAL: 45

3. Montauk

During the day, surfers flock to Montauk's Ditch Plains Beach for the best waves on Long Island.

Then at night, the pubs take over with a nightlife scene that draws both hipster and local crowds to this fisherman's village.

Plus, Montauk has some of the most succulent seafood in the Hamptons at restaurants like Dave's Grill and Harvest on Fort Pond.

Beaches: 10
Restaurants: 9
Shopping: 7
Celebrity Sightings: 8
Nightlife: 10
Real Estate: 6
TOTAL: 50

2. East Hampton

When it comes to nightlife, East Hampton has you covered with raging dance clubs like SL East and the Pink Elephant.

It also has stellar beaches, tons of shopping, top-notch restaurants, and plenty of celeb spottings. Essentially, East Hampton has everything.

Beaches: 9
Restaurants: 8
Shopping: 9
Celebrity Sightings: 9
Nightlife: 8
Real Estate: 8
TOTAL: 51

1. Southampton

Southampton puts all other villages to shame when it comes to three things: Shopping, celebrities, and real estate.

Southampton is packed with any kind of men's, women's, children's, home goods, or artsy store you could possibly name.

It's also a favorite spot among the rich and famous— mainly because the epic, multi-million dollar mansions that line the ocean are only affordable if you have deep pockets.

Beaches: 7
Restaurants: 9
Shopping: 10
Celebrity Sightings: 10
Nightlife: 6
Real Estate: 10
TOTAL: 52

Disagree on our ranking? Tell us your favorite Hamptons town in the comments!

SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Restaurants In The Hamptons

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New Jersey often gets a bad rap, but a new survey from Condé Nast Traveler shows that its largest city, Newark, is the most unfriendly city in the world.

Condé Nast Traveler recently came out with a list of the Friendliest and Unfriendliest Cities In The World, and Newark took the number one spot as the world's most unfriendly city.

The list was part of its annual Readers' Choice Survey, in which over 46,000 readers  voted on everything from cities and islands to airlines and cruises.

Newark received an abysmal score of just 13.4 out of 100 for its friendliness. Many readers said that the only reason to go to Newark is for its "cheaper/less busy airport" and that there are "a lot of rude people there.”

Islamabad, Pakistan, took the number two spot with a score of 17.9.

Eight U.S. cities ranked in the top 20 unfriendly cities, including Newark (#1); Oakland, CA (#3); New Haven, CT (#7); Detroit (#8); Atlantic City, NJ (#9); Los Angeles (#12); Albany (#13); and Wilmington, DE (#17).

The survey results also revealed some of the friendliest cities in the world. Florianopolis, Brazil, ranked as the friendliest city with a high score of 95.8 out of 100.

Within the U.S., Charleston, South Carolina, took the highest spot (#5) on the friendly list with a score of 91.5. The only other U.S. cities to make the friendly list were Savvanah, Georgia at #16, and Asheville, North Carolina at #20.

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The University of Iowa is the number one party school in the country, according to the most recent ranking from the Princeton Review. 

"Packed Iowa City bars blaring dance music, off-campus house parties and tailgating before Hawkeye football games are as much a part of Iowa's culture as the cornfields that surround the city," the Associated Press reports. Iowa was ranked second last year, behind West Virginia University.

After finishing second last year, an Iowa spokesman said, "among all the rankings published by various media outlets, the Princeton Review's stand out for their complete lack of objective, scientific methodology ... Their rankings are based almost exclusively on anecdotes and random, subjective feedback."

NBC points out that this year Iowa also placed in the top five for "Lots of Hard Liquor,""Lots of Beer," and "Students Study the Least."

Here are the top five party schools in the country, according to the Princeton Review:

1. University of Iowa

2. University of California, Santa Barbara

3. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4. West Virginia University

5. Syracuse University

Check out a video of the Iowa party scene below:

SEE ALSO: WORK HARD, PARTY HARD: America's Most Intense Colleges

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Coming off a glorious run of domination in the Gold Cup, the United States men's soccer team jumped three spots in the world rankings to 19th. The rise in the standings leapfrogs the squad over CONCACAF rival Mexico, who stayed ranked 20th.

The move into the world top 20 is certainly something to celebrate, we haven't been ranked so highly since 2010. However, the standings are to be taken with a grain of salt. Brazil, who recently dismantled Spain 3-0 in the Confederations Cup, is ranked ninth. The rankings are heavily influenced by recent global tournaments that teams have not really cared too much about. 

The Gold Cup was essentially a proving ground for CONCACAF members' B teams. While Landon Donovan erased any doubts about his commitment or ability, he was playing without Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore or Michael Bradley. The United States' current 11-game winning streak is more a product of an overall improvement in style of play and depth than a testament to world class ability.

US soccer fans have the right to puff their chest with pride in light of their team's recent run of play. Teams can only play the games on their schedule and winning every game is no big deal only when you're doing it. 

The team's next game is a friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina on August 14. Icelandic-American forward Aron Jóhannsson is expected to make his USMNT debut. He is a longshot to make the World Cup roster, but coach Jurgen Klinsmann has kept an eye on him for years. 

The US will play its final four World Cup qualifiers in September and October, beginning September 6 in Costa Rica. The team's performance in those games will speak volumes about World Cup preparedness compared to what we learned from the Gold Cup. 

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Editor's note: Due to some technical difficulties yesterday, we were unable to post this list on August 26, National Dog Day. But we couldn't resist posting it today. Enjoy!

Dogs are the best.

Incredibly loyal, they comfort, protect, and love their humans unconditionally, making dogs superior to any other pet out there.

But not all dogs are created equal. These are the 11 best dog breeds, based on factors including health, personality, and overall popularity.

11. Portuguese Water Dog

Portuguese water dogs were originally bred to herd fish, retrieve lost tackle or broken nets, and act as couriers from ship to shore.

They’re good for people with allergies and make excellent companions since they are loving, independent, intelligent, and easy to train.

Portuguese water dogs also enjoy being petted and are friendly with strangers. Just be warned that like many larger dogs, boredom can cause them to become destructive.

10. Newfoundland Dog

Known as “nature’s babysitter,” Newfoundland Dogs are the absolute sweetest. Perhaps the best-known Newfoundland is the fictional Nana from “Peter Pan,” who was so wonderful with children.

These gentle giants are highly loyal and easy to train, and are legendary for their docile temper.

Newfoundland dogs are also strong swimmers, and the breed was trained to rescue people from drowning — one dog even famously saved Napoleon Bonaparte.

9. Maltese

One of the most ancient of the toy breeds, Maltese dogs were bred to be sweet and adoring of their owners. The Greeks even erected tombs for their Maltese dogs, and in Elizabethan times, they were called “The Comforter” because it was believed they could relieve pain and cure illness.

Maltese dogs are also extremely hypoallergenic, with silky coats that don’t shed.

And because of their size, these dogs are good for apartment living, too.

8. Golden Retrievers

Goldens are sweet, loyal, and incredible companion dogs. They’d rather be sleeping at your feet then running around outside without you.

They’re also very even-tempered, especially with small children. Goldens make great service and comfort dogs because of their friendly and tolerant attitudes.

Plus they were bred to retrieve ducks and other fowl for hunters, so if you like playing fetch, this is the dog for you.

7. Huskies

Siberian huskies are stunning animals, with their thick fur coat and piercing eyes. Most people who choose a Husky do so for their extraordinary beauty.

Huskies are good natured dogs who are affectionate with children. They shed minimally, except for twice a year when they blow out their coat, and don’t have the typical “dog odor” that bigger breeds tend to have.

Huskies are not considered a great breed for first-time dog owners, since they need a lot of attention, exercise, and are very good as escaping and running away.

6. Poodles

Poodles get a bad rap. But they’re easy to train since they’re so intelligent, and are lively, fun-loving, and loyal family dogs. 

Poodles can be attention seekers, so don’t be surprised if this people-oriented breed is constantly with you.

They’re also protective of their families and homes, and can become aggressive with people outside the family or with other dogs.

5. Beagles

Because of their intelligence, Beagles are used by law enforcement at airports to sniff baggage for items that are not permitted. Due to their friendly nature and appearance, Beagles don’t worry passengers.

This breed also has a lack of inherited health problems, and an even temper which is good for families and small children.

The most common reason Beagles are abandoned or turned over to the pound is because their owners couldn’t stand their howling. This can be controlled by training your dog early to avoid excessive barking.

4. German Shepherds

A relatively new breed (they date back to 1899), German Shepherds are exceptional animals: Courageous, obedient, incredibly loyal, and eager to learn.

German Shepherds are very intelligent too, and excel at most anything they’re trained to do. They’re usually used as service dogs and police dogs to protect officers and locate drugs or human remains.

German Shepherds love their humans so much that they will suffer from separation anxiety, and can become destructive when bored alone at home.

3. Pembroke Welsh Corgis

Corgis have a cult-like following mainly due to their playful and sweet personalities. According to Welsh mythology, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was even the transportation mode of choice for fairies.

Though they can be shy with strangers, Corgis are good with children and have a strong desire to please their owners.

They’re also one of the silliest-looking dogs, with huge ears, a long torso, and a big butt. Just monitor their food intake closely since this breed is prone to overeating.

2. Labrador Retrievers

There’s a reason why Labs are the most popular breed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, as well as here in the U.S. They are devoted and obedient and have even temperaments that make them good with both children and other animals. 

Bred to be eager to please and playful companions, Labs are smart and commonly chosen as guide dogs and service dogs for blind or autistic individuals.

They also make understanding therapy dogs, and can be trained to aid law enforcement and other official agencies by screening and detection work.

1. Mixed Breeds

No matter what mix of breeds, mutts are awesome. Mixed-breeds are believed to have less genetically inherited health problems than purebreds, according to veterinarian Dr. Sarah Ward Fatula.

Plus, if you adopt your mixed-breed from the shelter, not only will they already be spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up to date with vaccines, but you’ll also be helping with the pet overpopulation problem.

To find a shelter near you, visit the ASPCA’s website.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Most Heroic Dogs Of All Time

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What makes a small town "great"?

According to CNNMoney, which just released a list of the 50 best small towns in America, great small towns are thriving economically, and have good schools and a strong sense of community.

Based on those and other factors, including average income and home price, weather, crime rates, and commute times, the publication named Sharon, Massachusetts the best small town in America.

The publication looked at places with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 to compile its list.

We're taking a closer look at the top 10. See CNNMoney's complete list of America's best small towns here.

#10 West Goshen Township, PA

Population: 22,241

2012 Median home price: $321,500

West Goshen has four main parks, and is home to the headquarters of QVC. It's not far from sprawling King of Prussia Mall, and is within commuting distance of Philadelphia.

Source: CNNMoney

#9 Apex, NC

Population: 40,205

2012 Median home price: $225,000

A suburb of Raleigh, Apex is near NC's Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in the world with more than 170 companies. The town has 400 acres of parks and hosts an annual jazz festival.

Source: CNNMoney

#8 Papillion, NE

Population: 19,837

2012 Median home price: $141,000

Papillion, outside of Omaha, is  home to massive Halleck Park, a recreation area with trails, pools, tennis courts, and more. In addition to great public schools, Nebraska Christian College is located in the city.

Source: CNNMoney

Even though the Ivy League is an athletics conference, the eight member schools are better known as academic and intellectual powerhouses that attract some of the best student talent in the world. 

While all of these schools will rank high on any list of the best universities, we decided to look internally, and see which academic institution is the best in the Ivy League. 

We examined the Ivies based on six overall qualities — each judged on several specific rankings — and then combined the six lists into a final overall ranking. The six qualities we used were Academics, Affordability, Campus, Job Prospects, Student Body, and Student Life. We've included how each school placed on these lists below. 

One thing is for certain — Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are in a league of their own. Combined, the three schools only ranked in the bottom half of any of our categories once, and there was a massive difference in points between our top three spots and the rest of our final list.

Here are all eight Ivy League schools, from worst to best:

#8 Brown University — Providence, Rhode Island

#4 Student Body
#5 Student Life
#6 Academics
#6 Affordability (tie)
#7 Job Prospects
#8 Campus

Students at Brown are among the most attractive in the Ivy League and they love their university — they rate their professors highly and many give back to the school. However, Brown's small endowment and low ranked facilities earned the bottom spot on our Campus list, and the school also placed low on our ranking of Job Prospects. 

#7 Dartmouth College — Hanover, New Hampshire

#3 Affordability
#4 Job Prospects
#7 Academics (tie)
#7 Campus
#7 Student Body
#7 Student Life

Although Hanover may not be many people's first choice to spend four years, Dartmouth has a stunning campus and a great social life — dominated by the school's Greek scene. The school is fairly homogeneous though and ranked towards the bottom of our Student Body list, getting low marks for diversity and international students, as well as Academics.

#6 Columbia University — New York, New York

#1 Academics
#5 Campus
#6 Job Prospects
#6 Student Body
#8 Affordability
#8 Student Life

Columbia took the top spot on Academics ranking, boosted by a high percentage of classes with less than 20 students and their well-regarded Core Curriculum program. However, while the school's New York City location makes it a great choice for students who want a traditional campus and all the benefits of a busy city, Columbia lacks a strong on-campus social scene and scored last on our Student Life list, as well as Affordability. 

#5 Cornell University — Ithaca, New York

#2 Campus
#3 Student Life
#5 Affordability
#7 Academics (tie)
#8 Job Prospects
#8 Student Body

With a thriving Greek scene and one of the best college towns in the country, Cornellians have access to a great social life and one of the Ivy League's most "gorgeous" campuses — landing in the top three for both Campus and Student Life. Unfortunately, the school's high acceptance rate and large class sizes may prove to be a hurdle for students looking for employment after graduation, and the school placed low in Academics and last for Job Prospects.

#4 University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

#2 Student Life
#5 Academics
#5 Job Prospects
#5 Student Body
#6 Affordability (tie)
#6 Campus

The highest ranked Ivy outside of the top three, Penn offers a great combination of strong academics and a top notch social life — both with their on-campus Greek life and across Philadelphia — grabbing the second spot on our Student Life list. Despite a low ranking for student's intelligence, Penn graduates tend to a get a high starting salary for the first jobs and many will end up multi-millionaires.

#3 Princeton University — Princeton, New Jersey

#1 Student Body (tie)
#2 Job Prospects
#3 Academics
#3 Campus
#4 Affordability
#6 Student Life

Princeton students prove their intelligence by choosing the school with the lowest billed tuition in the Ivy League and some of the highest salaries for graduates, putting it in the top half of both our Affordability and Job Prospects rankings. Princeton may not be the ideal college town, and dipped into the bottom half of our Student Life list, but based on high diversity and admissions standards, the university shared the number one spot on Student Life.

#2 Yale University — New Haven, Connecticut

#1 Student Body (tie)
#1 Student Life
#2 Affordability
#3 Job Prospects
#4 Academics
#4 Campus

Yale students are a triple threat — diverse, brainy, and attractive — and the school was at the top of our Student Body ranking, as well as Student Life. Yalies are some of the happiest in the Ivy League, and with top three spots on both Affordability and Job Prospects, they have every right to be. 

#1 Harvard University — Cambridge, Massachusetts

#1 Affordability
#1 Campus
#1 Job Prospects
#2 Academics
#3 Student Body
#3 Student Life

Harvard was the clear winner in our rankings, taking the top spot in half of our categories — Affordability, Campus, and Job Prospects — and never placing out of the top three. Boston is a great city to attend college, and Harvard's historic and picturesque campus makes it all the better. The university's reputation is stellar — armed with a Harvard degree students have little issue securing a great paying job after graduation, setting them up for the best return on investment of any Ivy.

Whether you're angling for a Nobel Prize, hope to make millions of dollars, or just looking for a great four years, Harvard is the best school in the Ivy League.

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When it comes to pointless national holidays, National Cheese Pizza Day is one of the finest.

So to celebrate, we found a list of the 10 Pies Worth A Road Trip from the editors at Zagat.

To make it onto the list, the pizza parlors had to inspire their customers to trek hundreds or even thousands of miles just to order a slice.

From Phoenix to Brooklyn, these pizza meccas offer the freshest ingredients, crispiest crusts, and tastiest sauces around.

Pizzeria Bianco: Phoenix, AZ

623 E. Adams St.

The Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas at Pizzeria Bianco keep its cult following coming back for more.

The staff only uses the freshest local ingredients for their simple salads and charred pies in this brick-lined restaurant.

In Riva: Philadelphia, PA

4116 Ridge Ave.

In Riva is a little piece of Italy in Philadelphia. It specializes in Neapolitan-style pizza prepared in a wood fire oven, and offers the clientele an assortment of Italian wines and beers.

It also has fantastic view of the Schuylkill River.

Salvatore's Coal Oven Pizza: Port Washington, NY

124 Shore Rd.

Salvatore's makes its pizza in coal-fired brick ovens. The coal-stoked crust is worth a visit in and of itself, but just remember — no slices, no credit cards. Full pies and cash only.

Silicon Valley is the most famous place for startups to thrive, but it's far from the only one. A recent report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation took a look at what areas of the United States had the highest density of high-tech startups. 

It broke down which metro areas have seen a rapid rise in the number of startups, and which are coasting on a strong base. Silicon Valley's dominance isn't surprising, but perhaps more so is the rapid rise of places like Kansas City, Portland, and Salt Lake City. 

Interestingly, the strongest influence on startup density isn't a strong research university in the area, but a concentration of established companies that help spin them off. 

20. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif.

1990 rank: 15

Top companies: Qualcomm, Illumina, Isis Pharmaceuticals

San Diego's particularly well known as a hub for biotech companies, driven by UC San Diego and its medical center, but there's a large telecom and technology presence as well. 

19. New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La.

1990 rank: Outside of top 20

Top companies: iSeatz.com, Kickboard, Entergy

In the aftermath of Katrina, there's been a flood of young, ambitious, and driven people hoping to help reinvent the city. As a result, many more people are starting companies there than ever before, and an increasing infrastructure is being built to support them. There's still a long way to go though. 

18. Kansas City, Mo./Kan.

1990 rank: Outside of top 20

Top companies: Sprint, Cerner, Perceptive Software

Kansas City was the first city to get on the ultra-fast Google Fiber broadband network, which has brought a flood of startups to the area. It has a long history of companies spinning off other innovative companies, as this massive map tracing its tech scene's development shows.  

Princeton University and Williams College are the best schools in America, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2014 rankings.

U.S. News divides schools into two major national lists — universities and liberal arts colleges— based on the degrees and research opportunities they offer. 

U.S. News made significant changes to their methodology this year, decreasing the importance of students' high school standings and increasing the amount of weight given to graduation rate performance.

According to U.S. News' website, incorporating graduation rate performance data for all schools "improves the Best Colleges ranking methodology as it's an important outcome measure that focuses on the difference between each school's predicted graduation rate ... and its actual graduation rate. The indicator gives credit to schools that have higher-than-expected graduation rates."

Earlier this summer, Forbes released a college ranking that placed California schools Stanford University and Pomona College at the number one and two spots nationally, while Princeton and Williams were numbers three and nine, respectively. 

Princeton was tied with Harvard University for the top spot in last year's U.S. News rankings, while Williams held the number one ranking in liberal arts colleges from the 2013 list.

Here are the national universities that U.S. News rated in the top 10 for 2014:

1. Princeton University

2. Harvard University

3. Yale University 

4. Columbia University

5. Stanford University

6. University of Chicago

7. Duke University

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

7. University of Pennsylvania

10. California Institute of Technology

10. Dartmouth College

Here are the liberal arts colleges that U.S. News rated in the top 10 for 2014:

1. Williams College

2. Amherst College

3. Swarthmore College

4. Bowdoin College

4. Middlebury College

4. Pomona College

7. Carlton College

7. Wellesley College

9. Claremont McKenna College

9. Davidson College

9. Haverford College

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U.S. News & World Report's 2014 college rankings came out today, and while there wasn't much change from last year, one school continued its steady climb higher.

As the Washington Post points out, San Diego State University has made a huge leap forward in the rankings over the past few years, from 183 in 2011 to 165 in 2012 to 152 this year.

This year, U.S. News increased the importance of graduation and retention rates by 2.5% in its rankings, two indicators in which SDSU sits just outside the top 100 universities in each category. Both SDSU's 86% retention rate and 67% graduation rate are several points higher than many of its peer institutions ranked above 150 overall.

SDSU also has strong numbers regarding student debt, the San Diego Union-Tribune points out. 

"With the cost of college remaining a big issue in higher education, the magazine also tracked graduates’ debt levels, with SDSU ranked No. 11 for least debt. U.S. News & World Report said 56 percent of San Diego State’s graduates are debt-free, and that the average student debt on that campus was $17,600,"the UT reports.

Additionally, U.S. News notes that "Private giving to SDSU has also risen sharply in recent years, [with] $70 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year. SDSU is currently conducting its first university-wide fundraising campaign and has raised more than $300 million toward its $500 goal to attract and retain top faculty, support innovation and research and provide more student scholarships."

This distinct rise in fundraising and spending could influence SDSU's ranking though "financial resources" and "alumni giving rate"— 10% and 5% of U.S. New's algorithm, respectively.

SDSU ranked ninth on Business Insider's list of "Most Underrated Colleges" earlier this year, and we noted that "The school has obtained over $150 million for research, allowing students to get real hands-on experience that will help them succeed in the real world."

In 2010, SDSU's president told the UT that this money is helping to advance both the school's teaching and research capabilities as state funding has slowed. 

"It has been a wonderful thing in terms of the learning opportunities for our students, and it has enriched our laboratories with the kind of equipment that the state of California is less and less able to support," he said.

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Popped collars, country club membership, private school diploma — they're all signs of preppiness. But where are you most likely to run into a prepster, or become one?

Real estate blog Movoto has come up with a ranking of the preppiest cities in America, looking at a number of factors it says go into the preppy lifestyle: Preppy clothing retailers per capita, country clubs per capita, equestrian centers per capita, private schools per capita, presence of boarding/preparatory schools, percentage of college graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and median household income (you can find the full methodology here).

Surprisingly, the northeast did not dominate Movoto's list. The website named San Francisco as the prepster capital of America, followed by Scottsdale, Honolulu, Raleigh, and Seattle.

Here are the top 20:

SEE ALSO: The 50 Most Expensive Private High Schools In America

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For our list of the best airlines in America, we wanted to evaluate the two most important factors for a trip: an enjoyable flying experience and a timely flight.

So we consulted two sources: J.D. Power & Associates and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

For in-flight experience, we relied on J.D. Power & Associates's 2013 North American Airline Satisfaction Study. That report, released in May, ranked airlines based on consumer ratings for seven experience categories: reservation, check-in, boarding, aircraft, staff, service, and cost and fees. J.D. Power gave each airline an overall satisfaction score out of 1,000 points.

For timeliness, we pulled a year's worth of data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), covering May 31, 2012 to June 1, 2013. Because a canceled flight can totally derail your plans, we considered it to be ten times worse than a delayed flight. Our process produced a score that assesses how often an airline cancels or delays a flight, on a 1,000-point scale.

Here's our formula for on-time performance scores:

Step 1: (% of flights delayed) + (% of flights cancelled, times 10) = n

This yields a score out of 100 points, where a lower number indicates better performance.

Step 2: 100 - n = a

This gives us the score for how often an airline does not delay or cancel a flight, so a higher number is better.

Step 3: multiply a times 10

This adjusts that score to be out of 1,000 points, so it lines up with the J.D. Power survey. This is the final on-time score.

We then averaged together the on-time performance score and the flying experience score from J.D. Power to generate a final score, ranked out of 1,000 points. Higher scores mean better performance.

As an example, here's what we did for Delta Airlines:

Between May 31, 2012 and June 1, 2013, Delta delayed 13.54% of flights, and cancelled .58%. Its JD Power score was 682.

Step 1: 13.54 + (.58 times 10) = 19.34

Step 2: 100 - 19.34 = 80.66

Step 3: 80.66 times 10 = 806.6

We then averaged the on-time performance score (806.6) with the J.D. Power score (682) to come up with a final score of 744.3. 

Note: Our list does not include every American airline. We only considered airlines for which we had reliable data from both the J.D. Power Survey and the BTS. You'll notice carriers like Spirit, Virgin America, and Hawaiian Airlines are missing.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The Best Airlines In America

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